Wednesday, October 30, 2013

John
Malveauxofwww.MusicUNTOLD.com
writes to Bill Lueth, Program Director, concerning the retirement of Eric DeWeese, General Manager of Classical KUSC Radio in Los Angeles:

Bill:

I recall seeing you for the first time at MLK Jr. Park in Long
Beach when you attended the 2009 west coast premiere of Roy Harris
"Bicentennial Symphony". MusicUNTOLD relationship with KUSC Radio
started with you. It is a treasured memory and somewhat historic in
terms of outreach from a classical radio station/educational institution
to an underserved community. Thank you and I hope special projects for
the station to include you will be FREQUENT.

John
- Just a note to tell you I will be retiring from KUSC at the end of
December. While I will do a few special projects for the station on
occasion, Bill Lueth, the station’s Program Director,
will be taking over many of my current general manager duties. He’s
now the #2 person USC radio, KUSC in Los Angeles & KDFC in San
Francisco.

Gail
will still be on staff in her current position. But, the decision
about what we broadcast is Bill’s. You might include him when sending
email. His address is
blueth@kdfc.com. Another person
you might put on your email list is Kelsey McConnell. She’s now the
Assistant Program Director (kmcconnell@kusc.org).

I’ve
enjoyed working with you. You have done some amazing things and should
be proud of your accomplishments. Hope to see you soon again.

[William
Grant Still (1895-1978) is profiled at AfriClassical.com, which
features a comprehensive Works List by Prof. Dominique-René de
Lerma, http://www.CasaMusicaledeLerma.com Recordings, sheet music
and books of William Grant Still are available at
www.WilliamGrantStill.com, which is operated by the composer's
daughter Judith Anne Still (Photo is the sole property of William Grant Still Music,
and is used with permission)]

Seven years ago, at the auditions for what is now the O’Connor String
Quartet, Mark O’Connor recalls being impressed by the response.

Assuming
few would be willing or able to play his music, a blend of folk and
classical traditions, he was stunned to find many who were not only
intrigued by his art but experienced in it as well.

“There were
many who were interested in that approach, many more than I would have
imagined,” said O’Connor by phone from his home in New York, adding that
those he hired came pre-loaded with a “natural proclivity” for it.

A
similar phenomenon is likely in store for Wednesday, when the O’Connor
Quartet appears on the Performing Arts Series at the Cleveland Museum of
Art. On that occasion, O’Connor and friends – violinist Kelly
Hall-Tompkins, violist Gillian Gallagher and cellist Patrice Jackson –
may again be surprised by the number of people with whom his music
resonates.

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

My family is from Louisiana and during a visit with my brother, Larry
Gauthia, a resident of Louisiana, he escorted to the Indian Removal
Trail of the Choctaw Indians (one of five civilized tribes) around 1830
through Louisiana. Although neither of us conducted confirming
research, family verbal history indicated some mixing with Choctaw
Indians. John Malveaux

The
twentieth century will go down in history as the century that radically
changed our society: two devastating world wars and an economic system
that was to take hold, at staggering speed, of the philosophy,
aesthetics, and moral values on which humanity had hitherto been
founded. As a result, the arts in general and the musical world in
particular were so powerfully affected that, today, we can find no
parallel in past centuries. Thus the twentieth century will be
remembered as the century of diversity, when the confluence of so many
different schools of thought gave birth to the most varied techniques
and compositional styles, unhesitatingly burying all vestiges of
post-Romanticism.

Inevitably, the American musical landscape,
consistently inheriting European trends, was imbued with this
'experimental' feel, leading to a diverse musical scene that breathes
the air of Nadia Boulanger's Paris with Aaron Copland and Elliott
Carter, 'moves away' from sound with John Cage, and employs the full
range of stylistic possibilities with John Corigliano; an America that
adapts the old language to derive completely new and fresh music from
elements inherited from the past. In a country where 'classical' music
is not a native art, it became imperative to create music with an
identity of its own that would reflect the thoughts and feelings of a
people and to develop a school of American composers.

Described
as "superb" by The New York Times, violinist Tai Murray is establishing
herself a musical voice of a generation. Appreciated for her elegance
and effortless ability, Murray creates a special bond with listeners
through her mature phrasing and subtle sweetness. Her programming
reveals musical intelligence. Her sound, sophisticated bowing and
choice of vibrato remind us of her musical background and influences,
principally, Yuval Yaron (a student of Gingold & Heifetz) and Franco
Gulli. Winner of an Avery Fisher Career Grant in 2004, Tai Murray was
named a BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist (2008 through 2010).

She
has performed as guest soloist on the stages of such halls as the
Barbican, Chicago's Orchestra Hall, Copenhagen's Tivoli Gardens, and
Shanghai's Concert Hall. Performing with such ensembles as the Atlanta
Symphony, BBC Scottish Symphony, and Orquesta Sinfónica Simón Bolívar.
Now a resident of Berlin, Tai Murray's appearances close to home include
Berlin's Konzerthaus and Kammermusiksaal at the Philharmonie, projects
with the Philharmonic Staatsorchester of Mainz and Düsseldorfer
Symphoniker, and tours with the Brandenburger Symphoniker and
Niederrheinische Sinfoniker.

As a recitalist Tai Murray has visited
many of the world's capitals having appeared in Berlin, Chicago,
Hamburg, London, New York, and Washington D.C. among many others. She
will return to Wigmore Hall in 2014. As a chamber musician, she has
joined tours with Musicians from Marlboro and was a member of Lincoln
Center's Chamber Music Society II (2004-2006). Festival appearances
include Ireland's West Cork Festival, and the Great Lakes Chamber Music
Festival in the USA. Tai Murray's critically acclaimed debut recording
for harmonia mundi of Ysaÿe's six sonatas for solo violin was released
in February 2012.

(Columbia Records; New York, NY – October 22, 2013) – Columbia Records
will release the soundtrack to the year’s most anticipated new film, 12
Years A Slave. The soundtrack, MUSIC FROM AND INSPIRED BY 12 YEARS A
SLAVE, will be released digitally on November 5th, 2013 with the
physical release set for November 19th, 2013. The MUSIC FROM AND
INSPIRED BY 12 YEARS A SLAVE soundtrack was curated by 9 time GRAMMY®
Award winner John Legend and features a score by legendary film composer
Hans Zimmer.

The 16 tracks featured on the soundtrack are songs
of freedom, each recorded specifically for the film and inspired by the
true story of Solomon Northup. John Legend was tasked with creating an
audio companion to the compelling film, and with the help of his Get
Lifted partners, co-executive album producers, Mike Jackson and Thais
Stiklorius, John enlisted a stellar line-up, of musicians, including
Alicia Keys, Gary Clark Jr., Chris Cornell featuring Joy Williams, Laura
Mvula, Cody Chesnutt and Alabama Shakes.

Standout tracks
include John Legend’s soulful version of “Roll Jordan Roll,” Alicia
Key’s stunning original track “Queen Of The Field (Patsey’s Song,)” the
Alabama Shakes heartfelt performance of “Driva Man,” Gary Clark Jr’s
“Freight Train” and the beautiful duet “Misery Chain” from Chris Cornell
featuring Joy Williams of the Civil Wars. The soundtrack also includes a
rare performance of “Roll Jordan Roll” featuring the full cast,
including lead actor Chiwetel Ejiofor. Take a listen to John Legend’s
“Roll Jordan Roll” here: http://smarturl.it/RollJordanRollSC

“12
Years A Slave is a stunningly powerful film. I was so moved when I saw
it. I felt every minute of it and was so inspired to contribute to the
music of the soundtrack. This album brings together some incredible
artists from different places and different genres who have all been
touched by the film. When artists are inspired by great art, it makes us
want to create. This album is the result of that inspiration.” – John Legend

Artis WodehouseThis is a rehearsal video of Marti Newland and I at Columbia
performing one of the songs from William Bolcom and Sandra Seaton's
cycle, "From the Diary of Sally Hemings". We'll perform the entire set
of 18 songs on Sunday, November 3rd at 7, Christ and St. Stephen's
Church, 122 W. 69th in NYC. It's a pretty amazing piece.Published on Oct 27, 2013

Soprano Marti Newland and pianist
Artis Wodehouse of MELODEON perform a selection from a unique 2001
American musical masterwork written by composer William Bolcom in
collaboration with poet Sandra Seaton called "From the Diary of Sally
Hemings". Sally Hemings (1773-1835) was one of Jefferson's over 600
slaves. After the death of his white wife, Hemings became Jefferson's
long-time mistress, and together they produced several children. This
relationship was not verified until the late 1990s, when DNA testing of
the descendants of this union became available.

Hemings is not
known to have actually written a diary, but composer William Bolcom and
poet Sandra Seaton have taken the known historic facts about her life
and reconstructed her experience through a fictional/poetic musicalized
first person voice in a cycle of 18 songs.

In the song here,
Sally Hemings is aboard a ship, sailing to France. She is a teenager,
and has been asked to accompany Jefferson's youngest daughter, Maria, to
Paris where Jefferson from 1784 to 1789 was serving as the ambassador
to the Court of France, representing the fledgling United States. In
the song, Sally Hemings reminisces about her grandmother's brutal
capture into slavery in Africa, her harsh voyage to America via the
"Middle Passage", and the irony of her own situation, retracing her
grandmother's voyage, this time back across the Atlantic to Europe.

MELODEON
is a group of musicians that perform American music of the 19th and
20th century. Presenting "The Diary of Sally Hemings" is an exceptional
foray for the group, but the subject matter and treatment is
foundational for understanding the United States.

The video/audio
recording was done at Columbia University by Whitney Slaten Oct. 26th,
2013, while Newland and Wodehouse were rehearsing in preparation for a
concert of the complete cycle to be presented Sunday, Nov. 3rd, 2013 7
p.m. at Christ & St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, 122 West 69th
Street, NYC.

Sunday, October 27, 2013

Now available for $69.99! Hurry, this great deal will expire on November 1st, 2013.

Announcing the 2nd annual convening on diversity in the performing arts: SphinxCon 2014-Solutions! A series of featured and guest speakers will shape the conversation through innovative, dynamic 15-minute presentations!

Lythgoe
has been a pioneer in reality television and a driving force in the
world of performing arts. As Controller of Comedy and Entertainment at
London Weekend Television he began Simon Cowell's television career in
2001 with POP IDOL. In the same year he took the format to the US and
it became the TV juggernaut AMERICAN IDOL, which has been nominated for
nearly 70 Emmy Awards.

Lythgoe
produced the charity spin-off 'Idol Gives Back' along with Richard
Curtis which raised $186 million. It received the prestigious Governor's
Award at the EMMY'S, which is the Academy of Television Arts &
Sciences’ highest honor.

Additionally,
Lythgoe created the global hit program "SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE" and
was recently awarded the International Emmy Founders Award, presented
to him in New York by Lady Gaga, recognizing him for "his indelible
imprint on the TV industry and a body of work that crosses cultural
boundaries and speaks to our common humanity."

The first big night of The Colour of Music, the
“Black Classical Musicians Festival,” filled Memminger Auditorium with
an abundance of smiles, hugs and ovations.

Newly
elected state Sen. Marlon Kimpson introduced the program with obvious
enthusiasm and a welcoming drawl, pointed out 91-year-old composer
George Walker, the first African American to receive the Pulitzer Prize
for music and the author of the first piece of the evening. The ovation
for Walker set the tone for the evening to come.

The concert opened with Walker’s “Icarus in Orbit” from
2004. The orchestra struck a startling and staccato first chord followed
by a few seconds of silence. Then crept in with a pensive and reserved
horn section which was soon joined by the strings setting up an
ascending two-note motif that gradually developed into a more dense and
rich texture. As contrast and dissonance built, the piece became more
complex rhythmically, with jarring horn blasts and fast runs in the
strings.

After a few short, eerie breaths, the
composition became more harmonically complex and rhythmic as it reached
its apex, then descended with a solo flute flurry followed by three
sharp chords harkening back to the beginning.

The
performance continued with “Poem” by William Grant Still, written 60
years before Walker’s “Icarus.” It began with huge parallel melodies in
the brass, engaging in a call-and-response with the woodwinds and
strings. The orchestra then settled into a low sonorous, pastoral feel.

Conductor
Marlon Daniel wonderfully led the musicians through the intense
dynamics of turbulent mountain tops and peaceful valleys. The brass,
anchored by three trombones and a tuba, offered as rich a tone at their
lowest volumes as at their most triumphant.

As Daniel became more animated with his baton, certain members of the orchestra began to follow suit.

Principal
oboist Hassan Anderson seemed especially moved. Perhaps because Still
was an oboist, he wrote a particularly lively oboe part, but something
more than that seemed to be taking place. The players, while
concentrated on their conductor, also interacted with one another.
Violinist were smiling at each other or nodding across to the violas.
Bassists were reacting to all the music, not just the dots written on
their particular pages.

The first half of the
evening’s performance concluded with Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s Ballade
in A Minor, a spirited piece, also relying heavily on a powerful brass
section.

...

The
stage filled with the orchestra, festival chorale, conductor and four
soloist, bringing the number of performers to nearly 90 for the final
composition, “The Ordering of Moses,” by R. Nathaniel Dett.

Composed
in 1937, Dett’s oratorio mixes African-American spirituals with
classical music and operatic singing. Lasting close to an hour, this
ambitious work never had a dull moment.

...

The chorus provided the perfect
support, either grounding the soloists or cajoling them to new heights.
The orchestra showed great restraint and skill at accompanying the
singers. Notable were principal cellist Kenneth Law and principal
bassoonist Feleighta Green, who played with great expression in the
transitions between the seven sections of the piece.

The
concert concluded with a rousing ovation, manifest sense of pride and
joyful camaraderie. The Colour of Music Festival is the start of
something very important and special in Charleston.

Reviewer Jonathan Gray is a musician, teacher and writer.

[Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, R. Nathaniel Dett, William Grant Still, and George Walker are profiled at AfriClassical.com, which
features a comprehensive Works List and a Bibliography for Coleridge-Taylor, Dett and Still by Prof.
Dominique-René de Lerma, www.CasaMusicaledeLerma.com.]

Ulysses Kay (1917-1995) wrote more than one hundred forty
compositions in a wide range of forms – five operas, over two dozen
large orchestral works, more than fifty voice or choral compositions,
over twenty chamber works, a ballet, and numerous other compositions for
voice, solo instruments or dancer, film, and television.

As stated by Constance Tibbs Hobson and Deborra A. Richardson in Ulysses Kay: A Bio-Bibliography (1994):
"Kay's contribution to America's cultural life and to its contemporary
music scene is outstanding. His distinguished career, reflecting
personal industry, discipline, and will, sets an encouraging, honorable,
and inspiring example for all who follow. His message to aspiring
composers strongly advocates continued study and growth in order to
better express one's vision and individuality."

The Kay family gave the papers of Barbara and Ulysses Kay to Columbia
in 2009, and they have since been cataloged. The finding aid for the
collection is available through:

The Sphinx Organization has worked to create
opportunities for black and Latino musicians to perform and grow. The
orchestra is a conductorless 18-member ensemble comprised of veterans
and winners of the annual Sphinx competition in Detroit, a contest for
black and Latino string musicians.

"Barbara Jane Kay has been committed to the Hinds County Jail [Jackson, Mississippi] by order of Judge James Spencer for the crime of Breach of Peace. Your sentence has been set at $200.00 and 4 months. You will be released from jail June 9, 1962. J.R. Gilfoy, Sheriff of Hinds County. By Jim Kelly, Deputy Sheriff"

But
what your readers may find more interesting is that she was a Freedom
Rider and was imprisoned in Parchman Prison in Mississippi see https://exhibitions.cul.columbia.edu/exhibits/show/kay/barbara-kay/freedom-rider. She was interviewed for an oral history project at Columbia years
later, completely independently & now that 150 page discussion
covering their lives from Italy, to the Freedom Rides & more is part
of the collection.

During the early sixties, the TITLE of a book grabbed my attention and
never departed from me. Carter Woodson is known as the father of African
American History Month and he authored TheMis-Education of the Negroin 1933. See http://www.historyisaweapon.com/defcon1/misedne.html

With
the influences of Wassily Kandinsky, Paul Klee, Kurt Schwitters,
Anthony Braxton and Helen Frankenthaler, abstract expressionist
artist/composer Renee' Baker embarks on the journey to
depict the obvious connection between visual art in the form of painted
scores and music. She finds both mediums to be simple and accessible and
the ability to evoke resonances and responses from instrumentalists
when directed in focused comprovisations, opens an unworldly labyrinth
of sounds.

An open consciousness in the player exposes the heart
and the essence of the painted works as the instrumentalists invent and
reinvent the experience. The results may be austere or complicated..and
neither response is preferred.

An ancient sort of illumination invites the listener into an awareness of their own creative process.

In this performance/showing all works will be installed and performed intermittently throughout the events.- RB

Reflections
from Grammy Award winner Mark S. Doss as Amonasro in Aida
in Seville and the Four Villains in The
Tales of Hoffmann
in Tokyo

I
am extremely excited to be back at the Teatro de la Maestranza in
Seville, Spain. I am starring as Amonasro in Aida,
with performances on October 25, 28, 31; and November 3, 6 and 9,
2013. Amonasro is the second most performed role of my career
(Escamillo in Carmen
being the first). This production marks my second engagement with the
company after successfully performing the roles of Alfio in
Cavalleria
Rusticana
and Premysl in Sarka
in double-bill performances earlier this year. With Amonasro, a part
I have already sung many times before, the fabulous acoustics and my
wonderful colleagues will be that much more appreciated.Reflections
on Amonasro, the Ethiopian KingThe
role of Amonasro, for me, is about the Ethiopian King’s love
for his country,
and his refusal to be ruled by an enemy who will disrespect that
country and its people. He is sometimes played as a villain, but I
believe he is far from that. Everything Amonasro tells Aida
concerning the atrocities the Egyptian enemy has done to their people
is factual. He knows that Aida loves Radames, and that he is in love
with her, yet Amonasro hopes to use that connection to advance his
higher concern of keeping his people (including Aida) free from
tyranny.

I have often thought back to the great performers who
have taken the stage in Aida.
George London was an immensely powerful Amonasro, and I was presented
with the Opera Prize named after him by possibly the most famous Aida
of all time, Leontyne Price. Both have been role models for me with
their impeccable vocalism. After receiving the prize it was recounted
to me that Ms. Price used these words in her description of me: “He
is the
real item.”
I am also indebted to Rakefet Hak (now at UCLA, formerly on the Met
staff and with LA Opera) for her musical insights and allowing me to
delve deeper into the role of Amonasro.

While I have always
been immensely proud to perform as the Ethiopian King, the role has
held even greater personal meaning after I received Planet Africa’s
Entertainment Award in 2011, recognizing me a positive role model for
youths, and a person whose roots stem from the African continent.
This will be the third time I will perform Amonasro since receiving
this humbling award.Thoughts
on The
Tales of HoffmannTwo
days after returning from Seville, I will fly to Tokyo to begin
rehearsing the Four Villains from The
Tales of Hoffmann
by Jacques Offenbach, which will be presented at The New National
Theatre on November 28; and December 1, 4, 7 and 10, 2013. I am
greatly looking forward to the challenge and opportunity to sing in
Japan for the first time. This will be my second rendering of the
villains after successfully presenting them with Michigan Opera
Theatre back in 2001

Fall River Symphony Orchestra's first concert of season is Oct. 27

The Fall River Symphony Orchestra's opening concert for the
2013-2014 season will be this Sunday, Oct. 27, with guest conductor
Douglas McRay Daniels, who has chosen autumn as a concert theme. The
orchestra will perform Festive Overture in A major by Shostakovich,
October by Whitacre, Ballade for Trombone and Orchestra by Martin
with soloist Wes Hopper and Symphony No. 8 in G major by Dvorak.

Daniels is co-chair of the Gann Academy Arts Department, music
director for the Bentley University Chamber Orchestra, associate
conductor of the Waltham Philharmonic Orchestra and founder and
artistic director of Third Sundays at 3 Chamber Music Series. He
earned a Bachelor of Arts in Trombone Performance from University of
Montevallo (Alabama), Master of Music Education and Trombone
Performance from Boston Conservatory, and Master of Music in
Orchestral Conducting from University of Nebraska. Guided by a belief
that music is “common ground” that bridges differences in race,
culture, origin and age, Daniels is particularly interested in
engaging young (new) audiences. He is a resident of Medford.

Patrick Meadows writes that he has published a number of works of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor at www.soundpost.org. They are listed here, and will be added to the composer's Biography at AfriClassical.com, pending revision of the Works List at the website:

MARK YOUR CALENDAR for the 2nd Muungano National Choral Workshops, October
9-12, 2014 in St. Louis, Missouri USA. Highlighting music from Africa,
Latin America, American folk, and more!... It's the next "Must-Attend"
event for choral groups,
administrators, multicultural educators, and all lovers of great music
and intercultural exchange. Details by phone at 314-652-6800. Register
early so we may help prepare your singers! In the weeks and months ahead
we'll be sharing exciting news with you about the choirs and other
music groups signing up to attend the 2014 conference.